Birmingham Cathedral (Anglican)
The Birmingham Cathedral (Cathedral Church of Saint Philip) is a cathedral of the Anglican Church and the bishop based in the English city of Birmingham . It was first built as a parish church and consecrated in 1715 . In 1905 it received the status of a cathedral and became the seat of the newly created Anglican Diocese of Birmingham. In England it is the third smallest cathedral after Derby Cathedral and Chelmsford Cathedral and was built in the Baroque style.
history
Philip's Church was planned because a nearby medieval church could not adequately accommodate its congregation due to the growing population of Birmingham. The property was donated by Robert Philips in 1710 and is located on one of the highest points in the district and reportedly level with the cross of St Paul's Cathedral in London . In recognition of the granting of the property, the church was dedicated to St. Philip . The cost of building the church was originally expected to be £ 20,000, but has been reduced to around £ 5,000 as a lot of the materials were donated and shipped to the site.
The church contains a theological library bequeathed by Rev. William Higgs. In 1792, a library room was built next to the rectory by the pastor Spencer Madan and called the ecclesiastical library.
With the growth of industrial cities in the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of new parishes and the need for new administrative centers arose. Birmingham was the second largest city in the country as early as 1850, but only received city rights in 1896. While new cathedrals were built in Liverpool and Truro , in other cities only existing churches and old abbeys were elevated to cathedral status. Through the efforts of the influential statesman Joseph Chamberlain and the Bishop of Worcester , Charles Gore , the Church of Philip was given cathedral status in 1905, with Charles Gore as the first bishop of the diocese of Birmingham.
During the Second World War, the cathedral was bombed on November 7, 1940 and burned down. Important treasures such as various Burne-Jones windows had already been brought to safety and were used intact during the renovation in 1948.
architecture
The Philip Church was designed by Thomas Archer and built between 1711 and 1715. However, the tower was not completed until 1725. The urns on the parapet were not added until 1756. Thomas Archer had visited Rome and his baroque design was influenced by the churches of Borromini . In the interior of the rectangular hall church , the main nave is separated from the side aisles by corrugated columns in a classic shape. These columns have Tuscan capitals and support an arcade , which is surmounted by a protruding cornice . Wooden galleries in the typical style of English baroque churches extend between the columns.
The exterior of the cathedral is dominated by the tall windows set between pilasters with bas-reliefs. A balustrade runs above it at the level of the roof . In the extension of the pilasters, urn-shaped sculptures are placed on the balustrade . At the western end there is a tower that rises in steps and tapers in the process. A lead dome and a lantern on top form the top . The building is mostly made of brick, but also of rocks from a quarry on Thomas Archer's estate.
The originally flat eastern apse was enlarged to a much larger choir between 1884 and 1888 and divided by strongly protruding Corinthian columns . This arrangement is embellished by the marbled surfaces of the columns and pilasters, by the gilding of the capitals and cornices and by the ornate coffered ceiling . Because the stone from the original quarry was very soft, Chatwin also had the exterior of the church renewed. The tower was also renewed in 1958/59.
Edward Burne-Jones, who was born nearby and baptized in the church, also contributed to the beautification of the church through several donated windows.
The cathedral is surrounded by a churchyard , which is no longer used for burials. There are six monuments listed as cultural heritage in this churchyard. A memorial was erected to two men who died building Birmingham Town Hall . Another memorial is a memorial to the victims of the bomb attacks on two pubs in Birmingham in November 1974. At the western entrance is a statue of Bishop Charles Gore, who raised his right hand in blessing. After the building was completed, it was decided to prohibit the inclusion of further monuments inside.
organ
The organ was built in 1890 by the organ builder Nicholson (Worcester) and reorganized and rebuilt in 1992 by the builder company. The organ case dates from 1715. The organ has 62 stops on four manuals and a pedal . The actions are electro-pneumatic.
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Individual evidence
Web links
Coordinates: 52 ° 28 ′ 52.3 " N , 1 ° 53 ′ 56.2" W.